What is pâté? What generally comes to mind when people first think of pâté is expensive duck liver or chopped liver. Both are indeed correct but pâté is not limited to poultry. Pâté is simply a mixture of seasoned ground or chopped meats, poultry, seafood, wild game or vegetables… and can be a combination of a variety of base ingredients. Pâté is traditionally served baked en croûte or molded as a terrine. The crust of pâté en croûte was not originally intended to be eaten but was rather used to hold the pâté together. Today the terms pâté and terrine are often used interchangeably.

A pâté can be as fancy as you like, suitable for the grandest of occasions… and prepared inexpensively in a way that will command rave reviews from your discerning food loving guests! In addition, most pâtés are much simpler to prepare than you might expect! The following two pâtés, Indian Style Poultry Pâté with Spicy Tomato Chutney and Pork and Veal Pâté are seasoned the same way but made with different base ingredients.

Using the fine grinder plate of a food grinder grind all ingredients together into a large bowl:

To the ground mixture add:

2 – 2 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

3 T plain yogurt

3 tsp kosher salt

1-1/2 T garam masala

Chef’s Note: Garam masala, a fragrant combination of ground spices that may include cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, is an Indian spice mix readily available at specialty and Indian markets.

3 tsp ground coriander

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Mix together well, cover the bowl with film and refrigerate for at least 4 – 6 hours, and preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld. Preheat the oven to 350° and pat the meat mixture firmly into a large hinged pâté pan (3-1/2″ x 11-1/4″ x 2-1/2″) or standard loaf pan. If desired, top the pâté with:

3 – 4 T finely chopped white onion

Place the baking pan on a sheetpan lined with foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until an internal temperature thermometer reads 160°:

Weight the pan to compress the pâté until it reaches room temperature:

Chef’s Note: You can create a pâté “press” by taping together three cardboard rectangles of equal dimension that will just fit inside the top of the pâté or loaf pan, covering them with foil then taping them again. When ready to use the “press” cover it with several layers of foil, place it on top of the pâté and weight it down with a heavy pot until the pâté has cooled to room temperature. Remove the weight, discard the foil and reserve the “press” for future use.

Wrap the pâté in both film and foil and refrigerate until time of service. Serve with Spicy Tomato Chutney, a good quality mustard and cornichons.

Spicy Tomato Chutney

To a medium sized sauce pan over medium high heat add:

2 T extra virgin olive oil

When the oil begins to shimmer add:

1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/2 tsp whole brown or yellow mustard seeds

As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, add:

1/4 tsp whole fennel seeds

A few seconds later add:

2 12-oz jars Homade Chili Sauce®, or a thick chili sauce of choice

1 T finely grated peeled fresh ginger

3/4 C cider vinegar

1 C dark brown sugar

3/4 tsp red chili flakes

1-1/4 tsp salt

1-1/2 T chili garlic sauce

Chef’s Note: Chili garlic sauce is readily available at Asian markets and can also be found in the Asian food section of many supermarkets.

Stir and bring to a simmer. Once bubbling, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for approximately 45 – 50 minutes. Add:

1/2 C muscat or golden raisins

Cook an additional 10 minutes at which time the chutney should be thick and glossy. Transfer the chutney to a jar, allow to cool, cover and refrigerate.

Veal and Pork Pâté

Place together in a large bowl:

1-1/2 lb well-marbled pork shoulder, cut into chunks

1 large bunch fresh mint, stems discarded

1 large bunch fresh cilantro, stems discarded

10 – 12 whole peeled garlic cloves

3/4 large white onion, peeled and cut into chunks

Using the fine grinder plate of a food grinder grind all ingredients together into a large bowl. Add:

1-1/2 lb ground veal

2 – 2 1/2 T plain yogurt

3 tsp kosher salt

1-1/2 T garam masala

3 tsp ground coriander

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Mix together well, cover the bowl with film and refrigerate for at least 4 – 6 hours, and preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld. Preheat the oven to 350° and pat the meat mixture firmly into a large hinged pâté pan 3-1/2″ x 11-1/4″ x 2-1/2″) or standard loaf pan. Place the baking pan on a sheetpan lined with foil and bake for approximately 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until an internal temperature thermometer reads 160°.

Weight the pan to compress the pâté until it reaches room temperature then wrap it in both film and foil. Refrigerate until time of service. Serve on thinly sliced baguette with Spicy Tomato Chutney, a good quality mustard and cornichons… Bon Appetit!

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Author:Steve Meyer & Dayton Azevedo

Food and fine cooking have been our passion for many years, fueled by the year-around abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry and meats, as well as aromatic spices and herbs readily available to us here in the San Francisco Bay Area, making adventuresome, creative and delicious 5-star cooking a reality in our kitchen. Our aim is to make it yours as well by utilizing our step by step instructions and serial photographs. Bon Appetit from our kitchen to yours...!